The 2019 Quebec-Bred Series got underway for four-year-old and older trotters and two full brothers, Seeyoumen and his younger brother, Wildwild Men, both won their respective opening round divisions at the Hippodrome 3R Friday.
The Quebec-Bred Series is for older trotters and pacers with three weeks of preliminary action and then $30,000 finals on Sunday, July 14.
The first division for older trotters was the first race on the program and saw Kinnder Dangerous and driver Justin Filion go right to the front from post two with rival Capteur De Reve (Stephane Gendron) sitting on their backs after Sometimes When (Guy Gagnon) made a costly early break.
Kinnder Dangerous led the field around the second turn and coming past the stands he was unchallenged until race favourite Seeyou Men came first-over and started to press towards the lead at the half mile in :59.4.
Around the turn and heading down the backstretch, Seeyou Men and Brosseau could not pass Kinnder Dangerous and those two were head and head at the three-quarters in 1:29.
On the final turn it looked like Filion had Kinnder Dangerous on the lead for good but Seeyou Men was not done yet, Brosseau asked his horse for me and it dug in and came on to win by a long neck over Kinnder Dangerous with the pocket-sitting Capteur De Reve grabbing third place. The one-mile trot went in 1:59.
Kinnder Dangerous was found guilty of skipping over three pylons on the final turn and was placed sixth as Capteur De Rene was placed second and Holiday Party (Pascal Berube) was placed third.
It was the second win this year for Seeyou Men, who is trained by Daniel Martin, bred and co-owned by Chantal Gravel of St-Cyrille-De-Wendover with Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel. The seven-year-old gelding by Muscle Mass paid $2.60 to win.
In the sixth race second division, it was Wildwild Men and driver/trainer Guy Gagnon grinding it out past Caroluzzo (Stephane Gendron) to the opening quarter mile in :28.2.
They raced that way past the half mile in :59.1 and it was then that SG Goliath King and driver Jocelyn Gendron came first over and pressed the leader to the three-quarters in 1:29.3.
Then after the final turn, Wildwild Men put away SG Goliath King and easily held off Caroluzzo in the stretch to win by two and one-quarter lengths in 2:00.1. Caroluzzo was second with SG Goliath King third.
Race favourite Maximuscle was unable to make it to the starting gate and never was able to catch the field.
For track record holder Wildwild Men, it was his third win this season and it made for a stakes double for breeder and co-owner Chantal Gravel of St-Cyrille-De-Wendover with Catheline Pelletier of Mirabel, as they also have Seeyou Men. Wildwild Men paid $4.40 to win.
The lone Quebec-Bred Series for the trotting mares took place in the third race where EAU Naturelle and trainer/driver Simon Delisle were able to lead from start to finish.
Outkicking Montanaalaska (Stephane Brosseau) to gain the early lead, Delisle was challenged right away by Precieuse CC and driver/trainer Claude Beausoleil on the outside to the opening quarter mile in :29. Precieuse CC looked to clear to the lead and then went off-stride and was out of the race.
Precieuse CC was content on the front end to the half mile marker in 1:00 when a dogfight was looming as Lucky Promesses (Steeve Genois) came first-over in the backstretch and those two hooked up past the three-quarters in 1:30.1. Then as they started down the stretch EAU Naturelle was the strong horse, winning by one length in 2:00.3. Lucky Promesses held for second with Y S Suzanne (Guy Gagnon) third.
It was the first win in six starts this year for Precieuse CC, a four-year-old mare by Angus Hall who is owned by Chantal Auger-Maxime Dubuc of Portneuf, Raymond Bouffard of Quebec and Anne Delisle of Deschambault. She paid $6.60 to win.
Stephane Brosseau, Marie Claude Auger and Carol Voyer each had driving doubles Friday. Carol Voyer also had a training double.
In the second race pace, Sylvain Gagnon drove Northern Trophy to a 1:59 triumph at odds of 23-1, resulting in the highest payoff of the race meet at $49.80.
On Sunday it will be the opening round of the Quebec-Bred Series for older pacers with four divisions, two for mares and two for horses. Headlining the fields are Atomic Million AM, Sports Authority, Stock, Chaleurs Fantasy, Beach Runner AM, Mckinny and YS Tallia. Post time is 1:00 p.m.
(Quebec Jockey Club)
To view results for Friday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Friday Results – Hippodrome 3R.